Experienced Dental Professional

Category: Nicholas Rauber

A dentist with more than a decade of experience, Nicholas (Nick) Rauber, DDS, is a native of Louisiana who treats patients at Aesthetic Dentistry Group in Baton Rouge. Dr. Nick Rauber also remains active in charitable giving and is the founder of the Swollfest Fishing Rodeo.

Founded in 1997, the Swollfest Fishing Rodeo is an annual fundraising tournament held in Grand Isle, Louisiana. The event raises funds for charitable organizations that serve children and veterans. Run completely by volunteers, Swollfest passes on 100 percent of the proceeds to charities and scholarships.

The 2017 Swollfest was an exceptional event with 750 anglers registered. Participants competed in the Offshore, Deep Drop, Inshore, Kayak, and Women’s divisions. An event for all ages, Swollfest also featured a Children’s division for youth aged 12 or under. The tournament resulted in significant fundraising, including $250,000 for Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.

The 21st Annual Swollfest Fishing Rodeo is scheduled for June 6 through June 9, 2018. To learn more, visit Swollfest.com.

For over a decade, Nicholas “Nick” Rauber, DDS, has practiced out of the Aesthetic Dentistry Group in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A dedicated philanthropist and community leader, Nick Rauber, DDS, is one of the founding organizers of Swollfest, a charity fishing rodeo that has become a cherished South Louisiana tradition.

Since 1997, Swollfest has raised over $1.2 million for a variety of local and national nonprofit organizations, including Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Grand Isle School. In addition to these causes, the funds collected during Swollfest also support the efforts of the Swollfest Outdoor Wish Foundation (OWF), which operates as a sister organization to the annual charity tournament. The mission of the OWF embodies the spirit of community and generosity at the heart of the event; each year, the volunteer-run nonprofit organizes once-in-a-lifetime hunting and fishing trips for children and veterans living with disabilities. By facilitating these fully funded excursions, the nonprofit seeks to help these outstanding individuals connect with the hope, tranquility, and catharsis of the outdoors. Since 2012, OWF has partnered with the Recordbuck Ranch in Texas to plan these outings, also collaborating with the Quality Deer Management Association to provide all-terrain wheelchairs to recipients as necessary.

The Outdoor Wish Foundation organizes its incredible gifts unbeknownst to their recipients. Not wanting to turn anyone away, the organization selects honorees independently, researching their unique background and preferences to custom-tailor hunting or fishing experiences especially for them. The organization announces its honorees at the conclusion of each Swollfest Tournament with the presentation of the Inspirational Award, an emotional ceremony that honors the strength and resilience of the accolade’s recipients.

Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Nick Rauber is a well known public service advocate and volunteer. At just 17-years old, Dr. Nick Rauber founded the Swollfest Fishing Rodeo to raise money for various charities.

Held each year over the second weekend in June, the tournament is held in Grand Isle, Louisiana, and has been held at the Sand Dollar Marina since 2001; it’s come a long way since it began as a backyard barbeque idea.

Since it’s inception in 1997, Swollfest – named for its champion’s distinction as the “swollest”– has grown to be one of the most recognized philanthropic fishing events in the Gulf and has more than 100 sponsors and 600 participants each year. The American Diabetes Association has been one of the charities of choice over the years, but overall the tournament has raised more than $1.2 million for various chosen charities, educational organizations, and research institutions over the last two decades.

Nick Rauber, DDS, graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in 2007. Now, in between his professional practice and his involvement with the Swollfest Fishing Rodeo, Dr. Nicholas “Nick” Rauber mentors students in the university’s pre-dental society and helps them prepare for the dental school admissions process.

Although the dental school admissions process is highly competitive, there are steps that applicants can take to enhance their applications. Undergraduate students can begin by researching the prerequisites set forth by schools that interest them. In most cases, these prerequisites will include eight hours each of biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry, all with laboratory work, as well as eight hours of physics and English.

Students must also take the dental admissions test, or DAT, at least a year before applying. The test covers biology, organic chemistry, and general chemistry, as well as reading comprehension. Students also complete sections on spatial ability, logic, and quantitative thinking.

While strong grades and a strong DAT score can give a student an advantage, it is also important to create a meaningful personal statement. Such a statement communicates clearly who the applicant is as a person and what makes him or her unique, while focusing on what the student will bring to dental school and to the dental profession. This piece of writing combines with the applicant’s record of community and campus involvement to tell dental schools not only what kind of student the person is, but also what he or she values.